After meet, opposition leaders flag EVM concerns with poll body

NEW DELHI: Top opposition leaders met here on Tuesday, ahead of the Lok Sabha poll results on May 23, to discuss the possibility of a non-NDA alliance staking claim to government formation.

They also met the Election Commission (EC) to press for their demand of tallying the paper trail of votes (VVPATs) with the electronic voting machine (EVM) figures.

Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot, Abhishek Manu Singhvi of the Congress, TDP’s Chandrababu Naidu, Satish Chandra Misra of the BSP, Sitaram Yechury of the CPI(M), D Raja of the CPI, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Derek O’Brien of the TMC, Ramgopal Yadav of the SP, Kanimozhi of the DMK, Manoj Jha (RJD), Majeed Memon (NCP), Devinder Rana (NC) are taking part in the meeting among others.

“On VVPATs and the EVM tally, the EC is yet to come out with a procedure in case there is a mismatch. Even if there is one mismatch in the VVPAT samples picked for counting and EVMs, to maintain the integrity of the electoral process, all VVPATs in that Assembly segment must be counted,” Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Yechury said.

Opposition parties turned out in high numbers at the election Commission office on Tuesday with various demands they termed as ‘confidence-building measures’.

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said: "The Supreme Court has allowed for five VVPATs to be tallied. VVPATs be tallied first-up and there should be re-polling if any discrepancy is found. The EC said that they'd decide, they have an open-mind."

"If he EC disagrees with us, if 75% of vote is before you, how does it matter if VVPATs are counted first? EC hasn't decided," he added.

The Election Commission will meet on Wednesday to discuss the issue.

No comments: